Safety

Gas Pipeline Explosion Kills Two in Collin County, Texas

An explosion on a natural gas pipeline in Collin County, Texas, near the town of Farmersville, killed two people and injured three, local media reports said.

Report Shows Safety, Reliability Improvements Among Pipelines

Liquids pipeline incidents affecting people or the environment decreased 38% over the last five years, while total pipeline incidents were down 21%, according to government pipeline safety data.

Police Detain Eight Employees of China Gas Unit After Deadly Pipeline Blast

Eight employees at a China Gas Holdings unit have been detained by local police following a fatal gas pipeline explosion on Sunday, according to a statement by the Shiyan city government.

Natural Gas Production in Extreme Weather

During the February freeze event, the wells themselves did not freeze or fail, the ancillary equipment downstream did. This distinction is important, because it can affect the manner in which the natural gas industry seeks to mitigate risks from future freeze events.

Sulfur Removal Solutions for Gas Gathering Systems

Pipelines are considered one of the safest, most reliable, most efficient and economic means of transporting large quantities of natural gas, crude and refined petroleum products. However, sulfur contaminants in the form of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and mercaptans (RSH) pose significant safety, operational, environmental and compliance problems.

Monitoring Pipelines to Protect Against Theft, Leaks

Oil and gas pipeline operators are under enormous pressure to reduce risk across their networks while simultaneously lowering costs. This can be achieved through effectively monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the pipeline networks to minimize product loss.

Fire Breaks Out at Tehran Oil Refinery

A huge fire broke out at an oil refinery in the southern part of the Iranian capital Tehran due to a pipeline leak, Iranian state media reported, saying there were so far no reports of casualties.

Blast at Shanghai Petrochemical Pipeline Injures Eight

Sinopec's Shanghai Petrochemical said on Saturday an explosion had occurred on a pipeline carrying raw materials for making ethylene, injuring eight employees.

Physical Threats to Pipeline Critical Infrastructure Growing

The importance of physical threat awareness toward critical pipeline infrastructure has never been greater. Safeguarding against physical threats are just as important, if not more important, as cyber-threats to protecting our nation’s pipeline systems, terminals and facilities.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Acknowledges ‘Controversial Decision’ to Pay Hackers

Colonial Pipeline's CEO acknowledged to the Wall Street Journal that his company paid a $4.4 million ransom to hackers as executives were unsure how badly its systems were breached or how long it would take to restore the pipeline.

Analysis: Cyberattack Exposes Lack of Required Defenses on U.S. Pipelines

The shutdown of the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline by a ransomware attack highlights a systemic vulnerability: Pipeline operators have no requirement to implement cyber defenses.

Enhancing Safety with Integrated Rupture Disk Assemblies

For decades, rupture disks have served the oil and gas industry as an effective, passive safety mechanism to protect against overpressure or potentially damaging vacuum conditions.

Colonial Pipeline Increases Estimate of Gasoline Spilled in North Carolina

New data shows the amount of gasoline released in Mecklenburg County’s Oehler Nature Preserve exceeds Colonial Pipeline’s 1.2-million-gallon estimate.

Equinor LNG Plant Broke Rules Ahead of 2020 Fire, Watchdog Says

Equinor must fix a series of rule breaches exposed by a fire at its Melkoeya LNG plant in Norway last year for the plant to reopen, the country's safety watchdog said on Thursday.

Gazprom Helping Determine Lawful Ownership of Russian Gas Pipelines

In the absence of lawful owners, gas networks and pipelines lack proper control and maintenance. More than 70% of such facilities are in the North Caucasus, Volga and Siberian Federal Districts.

LOOP, Phillips 66 Win 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards

The American Petroleum Institute announced LOOP LLC and Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC are the winners of the 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards, which recognize operators who have distinguished themselves as champions of industry innovation and operational excellence.

Pipeline Company Recognizes April as National Safe Digging Month

Georgia’s Colonial Pipeline is reminding homeowners and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to protect people and prevent damage to critical utility services.

Failed Fitting Led to 1,200 Barrel Oil Leak from Trans Mountain Pipeline

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada completed its investigation into a June 2020 release of crude oil at the Trans Mountain Sumas pump station in British Columbia, determining a 1-inch pipeline fitting was the source of the leak.

CASE STUDY: Free Span Assessment of Subsea Pipelines

Free spanning of subsea pipelines is a concern during both the installation and operational phase of the pipeline life and needs to be monitored to ensure the integrity of the pipeline.

New PHMSA Rules Ease Burdens, Maintains Safety

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) re-examination of the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations should ease regulatory burdens on the construction, maintenance and operation of gas transmission, distribution and gathering pipeline systems, according to the final rule in the Federal Register.

NTSB Looks to Improve Pipeline Leak Detection and Mitigation

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board named improving pipeline leak detection and mitigation as an item on its “Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements” for 2021-2022, the agency announced.

Improving Natural Gas Distribution Systems to Ease Pressure Risks

This article examines redundant overpressure protection (OPP) requirements at the city gates in the U.S. and how several operators are at risk of noncompliance as states begin to enforce redundant OPP requirements specifically at the city gates.

Many Benefits Occur Within Integration of the Control Room with SCADA

Implementing comprehensive control room management (CRM) with modern SCADA systems can offer utilities and pipeline operators myriad benefits, particularly when it comes to improving pipeline safety.

Spotlight on Utilities

Routine calls for utility workers led to lives being saved due to their proper training and quick thinking.

SBS Energy Sets Record in GOM Decommissioning Project

SBS Energy Services (SBS) completed a multiphase project to decommission 29,000 feet (8,839 meters) of 10-by-6-inch (254-by-152-mm) insulated pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in partnership with Helix Energy Solutions, setting a new offshore snubbing unit/hydraulic workover world record.

Why Investors Should Care about Challenges Mitigating Gas Flaring

Flaring has been a lightning rod for criticism of the upstream oil and gas sector due to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions it creates, as well as the perceived wastefulness by the companies who flare. What some may not realize is that the alternative, known as “venting,” is even more damaging.

Canada's Suncor Energy Reviewing Mining Safety After Three Workers Killed

The incidents follow accidents during construction of Trans Mountain Corp's oil pipeline expansion, causing it to halt work temporarily.

Pipeline Integrity: History of Direct Assessment Process

Direct assessment is a process through which a pipeline operator determines a pipeline’s integrity through integrating knowledge of the physical characteristics and operating history of a pipeline with the results of diagnostic testing.

Action Remains Best Defense Against Pipeline Cyberattack

Among other consequences, a major cyber-breach could result in additional disruptions to commodity prices, widespread energy shortages or outages, and loss of life and property.

Choosing, Using Composite Repair Systems

There are many variables when considering a composite repair, making it almost impossible for a single, ready-made composite to work well in every situation.